Quantitative Research in Branding and Surveys

Analyzing and Understanding Markets: Interviews and Surveys

• Market research can be conducted internally or externally through specialized service providers.
• Market research is a process with steps: problem formulation, research design, data gathering, analysis, and reporting.
• Research designs can be exploratory, descriptive, or causal, utilizing secondary or primary data.
• Secondary data (desk research) involves examining data sources and utilizing library resources for assignments.
• The presentation will now focus on gathering primary data.

Agenda

• Qualitative studies
• Surveys (characteristics, sampling, administering surveys, question typologies, creating questionnaires)
• Group Assignment 2: guidelines and instructions for student presentations
• Time allotted for group work

Qualitative Studies

• The goal is to understand poorly understood phenomena, such as:
  • Decision processes for purchasing electric cars
  • Consumer dissatisfaction with products or services
  • Reasons for switching from one brand to another (e.g., Apple to Android)
• Qualitative studies focus on understanding the qualities, not quantifying data.
• Key findings might involve identifying major sources of dissatisfaction (e.g., product complexity, costly maintenance, lack of eco-friendliness).
• Understanding consumer decision-making processes could involve identifying benefits sought and criteria used to compare alternatives.

Main Typologies of Qualitative Studies

• Ethnographic and observation-based studies: Observing consumers in their natural environment (e.g., at home, points of sale, events). This method allows for first-hand observation of consumption behaviors, rather than relying on explanations.
• Individual, in-depth interviews: Asking participants a series of questions, which can be more or less structured, depending on the knowledge about the issue. Often conducted online (e.g., via Zoom).
• Focus groups and other forms of group interviews: Small groups of participants, led by a moderator. Interactions allow for the emergence of insights that wouldn't otherwise be possible, including important information that may not be obvious.

Individual In-Depth Interviews

• Semi-structured, with open-ended questions.
• Sample size often around 20, not representative of the whole population.
• The sample should be representative of a targeted population or phenomenon (e.g., people who have recently purchased an electric car).
• Interviews are usually face-to-face or video-conferencing, rarely over the phone.
• Questions may be sent beforehand for preparation.
• Interviews are recorded (audio and/or video).
• Transcriptions are done, potentially using voice recognition software.

Focus Groups or Round Tables

• Mostly use open-ended questions, with initial warm-up questions to establish a conversational flow.
• Typically 8–12 participants at a neutral location.
• A one-way mirror or technical room with observation is used where researchers observe participants.
• A moderator leads the discussions and ensures everyone participates equally.
• Discussions are recorded (audio/video), transcribed, and analyzed.

The Survey Method

• Data is gathered through questionnaires.
• Questionnaires are structured and designed to elicit specific information from respondents.
• It's the most used data-gathering method for market researchers.

Terminology

• Survey: Method/technique for collecting quantitative primary data.
• Questionnaire: Tool for conducting a survey.
• Interview: The moment of data collection when participants fill out questionnaires. The term is also used in quantitative research.

The Survey in Brief

• Uses standardized questionnaires with questions in a fixed order.
• Easy to administer, reliable, and allows for comparisons of data.
• Limitations: Respondents might not always be willing or able to answer, options may not represent views accurately, and questionnaires are not always easy to develop.

Sampling

• The Sampling Process:
  • Define the target population
  • Select the sampling technique
  • Determine the sample size
  • Execute the sampling process
• Target Population: All elements (people, households, or companies) with shared characteristics for the marketing research problem. (e.g., all French fast fashion consumers)
• Sample: A subgroup of the population selected for participation. Not every member of the population will participate.
• Sampling Technique: Probabilistic methods (e.g., random sampling) where each member has equal chance of being selected; non-probabilistic methods (e.g., convenience sampling, judgmental sampling, snowball sampling) where accessibility is prioritized, or individual's expertise.
• Sample size: Determined by statistical criteria, and sometimes by business realities. (e.g., a typical sample of 300-400 respondents for consumer studies might be acceptable).
  • Response Rate: Calculated as Completed Interviews / Eligible Units in the sample. This shows the proportion of individuals contacted that completed the survey.
• Sampling Process Execution:
  • How to recruit participants: Utilizing mailing lists, online recruiting, onsite recruiting, marketing research providers and online panels (e.g., Amazon Mechanical Turk).

Panels

• Professional panels composed of individuals who agreed to be contacted for participating in marketing research. Monetary incentives are offered.
• Potential limitations: self-selection bias, not being fully representative, and sometimes, lack of the required expertise.

How to Administer a Survey (Methods)

• Face-to-face interviews (at-home, mall-intercept)
• Telephone interviews (traditional, computer-assisted)
• Mail interviews
• Electronic interviews

Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Survey Administration Techniques

• Face-to-face interviews: Advantages are high environmental control and ability for interviewer clarification of questions. Disadvantages are high costs and potential for participant refusals, plus interviewer bias and consumer skepticism.
• Telephone interviews: Advantages are speed and immediate data availability; interviewers have moderate control over the survey, but can't see the environment. Disadvantages are limited control, questionnaire length, potential for respondent refusals, and interviewer bias.
• Mail interviews: Advantages are lower cost and sometimes high response rate, useful for reaching a wider population. Disadvantages are low response rates if not conducted via a panel, slow data return, and no direct contact with respondents.
• Electronic interviews: Advantages are high flexibility and speed, fast turnaround, low cost, and the benefit of reaching many geographically dispersed participants. Disadvantages are potential for self-selection bias and lack of interviewer control.

Question Typologies

• Open vs. Closed Questions:
  • Open-ended questions: Allow spontaneous responses (e.g., "What brands of soft drinks do you think of".)Useful for exploratory research and discovering unanticipated feedback in situations like measuring brand awareness.
  • Closed-ended questions: Pre-coded options, which may be dichotomous (e.g., yes/no answers), multiple choice, or rating scales (e.g., Likert, semantic differential, continuous).
• Open-Ended Dichotomous vs. Multiple Choice: A simple "yes" or "no" answer (dichotomous) versus a selection from a limited number of options.
• Likert Scale Questions: Measuring the degree of agreement/disagreement with statements. Data is treated as interval and the scale is easy to construct and administer.

Likert vs. Semantic Differential Questions

• Likert Scales: Measure the degree of agreement or disagreement; data is considered interval-scaled, and the questions are simple to build, and the meanings can be specified more effectively.
• Semantic Differential Scales: Rank objects in relation to bipolar adjectives on a 7-point scale. The technique might not be suitable for all situations, and pre-testing the adjectives is often required.

Continuous Rating Questions

• Respondents are asked to rate an object, activity, or concept using a slider or similar, where they indicate a mark or position on a continuum.
• The technique is easy to implement online but not often used for paper-based questionnaires.

How Many Answer Options/Levels?

• A general rule of thumb is using 5 to 7 response options, though 3 can sometimes be preferred in cases of low participant involvement (e.g., telephone interviews). A much greater number of options can be too overwhelming for the individuals completing the surveys.

Odd vs. Even Number of Answer Options

• Odd scales: Allow for neutral responses (e.g., 5-point Likert scale with a neutral middle point). Many respondents give neutral feedback if given that option.
• Even scales: Force a response, with respondents having to choose somewhere along the spectrum. This might prevent neutral responses if that is what the respondent would have otherwise given.

Validated Scales

• Use validated scales developed by marketing researchers.
• Validated scales are more reliable and are readily available, using publicly available tools and libraries. It's generally not appropriate for individual students to create complicated questionnaires on their own.

Questionnaire Structure

• Introduction: Engaging participants and outlining objectives; provide information about confidentiality.
• Filter questions: Narrowing down the target respondent base to those of particular interest.
• Questions: Organized in sections, linked well for clarity, with some specific questions that will aid in getting the kind of responses wanted.
• Conclusion: Thanking participants and summarizing the goals of the study.

Questionnaire Introduction and Instructions

• All surveys should include a salutation (greeting).
• Participants should be thanked.
• The survey's goals, and how the data is handled and used, should be explained.
• The survey length should be clear.
• Instructions or guidelines should be clear.

Testing and Refining Questionnaires

• Pilot tests: Use a small group to review questions and the questionnaires and how it flows. This practice helps uncover problems or make adjustments before a full-scale distribution.
• Key checks for refinement:
  • Does the questionnaire flow properly?
  • Do questions sound right and are understandable?
  • Are questions well organized?
  • Do respondents find the answers easy?
  • Does the technology work?
  • Length of the survey, to ensure that people are not deterred from completing it.

Steps of Questionnaire Creation

1. Defining objectives and conceptualization
2. Drafting the questionnaire
3. Testing the questionnaire

Typical Survey Goals

• Measuring consumer behavior and attitudes
• Quantify and generalize qualitative research;
• Identify positioning of a brand versus competitors;
• Identifying consumer profiles;
• Understanding customer satisfaction.

Dependent vs. Independent Variables

• Dependent Variables (DV): Variables that are measured and depend on factors (variables)
• Independent Variables (IV): Factors that are changed to see their impact on the DVs. This information can be useful in causal analysis.

Reading Material

• Specific readings with page numbers are available with the provided content. There is a reading that requires you to study sections 4.4.2 and 4.5. These chapters are about questionnaires and qualitative research.

Explore the intricacies of quantitative research following qualitative studies, particularly in the context of branding and surveys. This quiz delves into key concepts such as survey goals, sampling processes, and the role of moderators in group discussions.